“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

-- Matthew 6:25-33

Matthew 6 reminds me of a lesson I heard in my childhood. My mother, and I in later years, would fret for hours about what we would wear or how we would style our hair to an important event. I can remember my grandfather telling her to not be focused on her outward appearance. He would say "The smile on your face has the potential to light up a room; your makeup, hairstyle and clothes are insignificant." These words were embedded in my subconscious from an early age.

As I entered my teenage years I was so concerned with looks and my body image. On night when I was getting ready to go out and he told me “It is what is on the inside that counts. Put a smile on your face and have kindness in your heart.” You will have a happier life if you develop a good picture of what you are about on the inside. This is a difficult concept for a young woman to understand.

Our society covets external beauty; however in the kingdom of heaven it is inner beauty that pleases God. In interpersonal relationships, people will rarely remember what you wore or how you styled your hair or even the words that you spoke to them. They will remember the way you make them feel.

Prayer:

Dear God, help me meet each person this day with a smile on my face and kindness in my heart.

-- Peggy Canose